The California State University (CSU) has selected 23 students who have demonstrated superior academic and personal achievement to receive the 2024 CSU Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement. From overcoming mental and physical health issues, to persevering through teenage motherhood and homelessness, to working multiple jobs to help support their family, these exemplary students—one from each CSU university—will be honored during a ceremony as part of the CSU Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, September 24.
“It is with tremendous joy and great pride that I celebrate the outstanding achievements and extraordinary perseverance of this year’s Trustees’ Scholars,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “Through the visionary generosity of our donors, the CSU is able to uplift and support these diverse students and truly outstanding scholars who have overcome educational and personal hardships in pursuit of a college degree that will not only transform their lives, but will also elevate their families and strengthen their communities.”
The CSU Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement, which is the highest student distinction within the university, grants students scholarships based on academic achievements, financial need, excellence in community service and personal hardship. Since the program’s inception in 1984, more than 500 CSU students have been honored with the Trustees' Award.
This year’s class of inspiring awardees will receive more than $190,000 in scholarships collectively, thanks to the generous contributions from past and present CSU trustees and other donors.
The largest scholarship was made possible by a donation from CSU Trustee Emeritus Ali C. Razi, who endows a scholarship fund to recognize the top-scoring CSU Trustees’ Award recipient annually. Cal State LA scholar Rebekah Reyes —a 4.0 student studying for her master’s degree in sociology who aspires to become a community college teacher and mentor for students in underserved communities —was named the 2024 Trustee Emeritus Ali C. Razi Scholar and will receive an $18,000 scholarship.
The 2024 CSU Trustees' Scholars are:
- Anthony Agueda, Fresno State
CSU Trustee Emeritus Peter G. Mehas Scholar - Gabriella Amaya, CSU Dominguez Hills
William Randolph Hearst Foundation Scholar - Juan Carlos Arredondo, San Francisco State
CSU Trustee Leslie and Cliff Gilbert-Lurie Scholar - Estrella de Guadalupe Bonilla, Cal State Fullerton
Edison International Scholar - Alexandra Brown, CSU Bakersfield
CSU Trustee Emeritus Kenneth Fong Scholar - Jianshan Chen Khalsa, Cal State Monterey Bay
John and Beverly Stauffer Foundation Scholar - Emilie Giannini, Cal State East Bay
CSU Chancellor Emeritus Timothy P. White Scholar - Luz Gonzalez, Chico State
CSU Chancellor Mildred García Scholar - Dillon Avery Harp, Cal Poly Humboldt
CSU Chancellor Emeritus Charles B. and Catherine Reed Scholar - Estefania Hernandez Luna, Stanislaus State
CSU Foundation Board Member Ron and Mitzi Barhorst Scholar - Maria Christina Huerta-Avila, San Diego State
CSU Trustee Jack McGrory Scholar - Bryce Iversen, Sonoma State
CSU Trustee Emerita Claudia H. Hampton Scholar - Ezekiel Leyva, Cal Poly Pomona
TELACU Scholar - Thomas Porter, Cal Maritime
CSU Foundation Board Member Michael A. and Debe Lucki Scholar - Rebekah Reyes, Cal State LA
CSU Trustee Emeritus and CSU Foundation Board Member Ali C. Razi Scholar - Fernando Sánchez López, San José State
CSU Trustee Emeritus William Hauck and Padget Kaiser Scholar - Juan Michael Sibrian, Cal State San Bernardino
SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union Scholar - Heather Smith, CSU Channel Islands
CSU Trustee Emeritus Murray L. Galinson Scholar - Maileen Soriano-Mamaradlo, Cal Poly
William Randolph Hearst Foundation Scholar - Perla Tellez, Sacramento State
William Randolph Hearst Foundation Scholar - Minh Tran, CSU San Marcos
CSU Trustee Wenda Fong and Daniel Fetterly Scholar - Katrina Watson, Cal State Long Beach
William Randolph Hearst Foundation Scholar - Trisha Williams, CSUN
CSU Executive Vice Chancellor and CFO Steve Relyea Scholar
For bios on all 23 scholars as well as donor information, visit the CSU Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement website.
The CSU Board of Trustees meeting, where each awardee will be recognized during the Committee on Institutional Advancement portion on September 24 beginning at approximately 4:15 p.m., will be held at the CSU Chancellor’s Office, 401 Golden Shore, Long Beach, CA 90802.
About the California State University
The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, and more than one-quarter of undergraduates are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom.